My new favorite toy/obsession is Modern Masters Metal Effects (MMME)! These paints come in copper, bronze and iron, and are activated with different patinas that cause them to oxidize and turn beautiful colors. Here is a lizard that I decided to have a little fun with (*note: no lizards were harmed in the making of this blog post!).

I get these metal wall art pieces from Beyond Borders. They are hand made in Haiti from recycled oil barrels. I love supporting these artisans in Haiti - and their work is absolutely beautiful! You can read more about them here.

Mr. Lizard is about 34 inches long.

Before applying MMME paints and patinas to a metal object, it is important to prime it first! The activators will interact with the metal if they come in contact with them directly. So I put 2 coats of Metal Effects Primer on this guy first. And let it dry.

Next I painted a little color on the butterflies with some General Finishes Milk Paint. Any acrylic-based paint would work but this one is my favorite because it sticks so well!

Then, I painted Mr. Lizard with MMME copper paint and let the first coat dry completely. Next, I painted a second coat of copper paint and WHILE WET, sprayed it thoroughly with Green Patina.

<<--- Here's the little guy during the activation process.

I waited until he was completely dry (a few hours) and then applied 3 coats of the Modern Masters Permacoat Extreme topcoat to him. Now he can go outside!